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. C. G. SKILLIN.

l FILM REWINDERI APPLICATION FILEDNOV- 'I5' 19I7. I

1,318,096., Patented Oct. 7,1919.

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WITNESSES ATTORNEY C. G. SKILLIN.

FILM REWINDER. APPucATxoN FILED Nov. l5. 1911.

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NITNESSES ATTORNEY comprehends improvements in the details ofn cient number of convolutions to @man sra;

.aan non y l CHES Gr. SKILLIN, OF POCAHONTAS, IOWA.

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To Aall 'whom t may concern Be it known that l, CHARLES Gr'. SKILLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at `Another object of the invention is to provide an improved moving picture projecting machine having means for winding up the film as it is fed through the machine from the periphery toward the center of n jectlng apparatus supportmg the projecting the spiral instead of from the center outward whereby the film may be removed when woundand transferred to the unwind` ing 'shaft for immediate' use without the necessity of rewinding. the film. c' v Another object of the invention is to provide an improved movino picture projecting machine having the alcove named characteristics and. including a drum upon the winding shaft of. the machine wherein to receive the film as it is passed through `l`ythe projecting machine, winding the film in a spiral from the periphery toward the center, and rollers vfor supporting the inner convolutions/of the film during Winding thereof, said rollers .being automatically displaced when the film has been formed into a suiiibe self-sustaining". y U

Another object of the invention is to prbvide an improved moving picture projecting machine having the above named character` istics, embodying means for directing the film as it is passed through the projecting machine to the drum 'to wind the film in the manner described above, and a friction type gearing for actuating said film directing means, `adapted toA permit variation of lthe film directing means as the convolutions of the winding film decrease in diameter.

In addition to the foregoingmy invention construction and arrangement of the parts, hereinafter more fully described and particularly set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which- Specication of Letters Patent.

rateatea oet. a, lala Application led November 15, 1917. Serial No. 202,210.

similar and corresponding parts are designated by the same characters of reference throughout the several views in which they appear: l

Figure 1, is a view in side elevation of my improvement .in projecting machines.

Figc` 2, is a fragmentary view thereof in rear elevation. Fig. 3, is a view in front elevation of the reel containing box with the door in open position.

lFig. 4, is a detail View on an enlarged scalein section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

TF ig. 5, is a fragmentary view in plan of the film directing mechanism and Fig. 6, is a detail section taken on the line 6-6 of F ig. 5.

With reference to the drawings, 10 indi cates theplatform of a moving picture pro'- mechanism properfindicated at '11, and. in-

cluding a crank shaft 12 for actuating the intermittently operating film shifting mechanism, and a shaft 13 driven ,by said crank shaft in the usual manner. The reel containing box for containing the unwinding reel is indicated at 14 and is located above theprojecting apparatus, while the reel containing box 15 for receiving the, projected` film is mounted in the usual manner beneath the platform.

The lower reel" containing box 15. forms a support for a transversely extending shaft 19 which supports a roller 20 of the film direct-- ing mechanism, shown in detail in Fig. 6. The roller provided with peripheral projections 21 to enter the marginal perforations of the film, and lthree small rollers 22 are journaled in the bracket above the roller 20 in arcuate relation, the film'indicated at 23 passing from the projecting mechanism' 11 through an opening in the box 15, and

`between the roller- 20 and said rollers 22.

The drum 17 isl provided with ai V`small hook 24 upon its inner periphery whereby the unwinding end of the lm may, after passing between the rollers 20 and 22 be formed into a plurality of convolutions with 26 which -isformed with arms 27 and 28 at right angles, the arms 28 extending transversely and horizontally t`o support the rollers 25, while the arms 27 yare'directed radially toward the center of the drum 17. The arms 28 extend through` radial slots 29 in the cover -30 of the lm box 15, while the arms 27 are guided for radial movement in radial houslng's 31 secured to the outer face of the door or cover 30,Y the inner end of said housing being open. Coil springs 33 are provided, one for each supporting member 26, said springs having one of their ends connected to the extremities of the arms 27 and the other ends connected to fastenings secured to the housings where-by to normally urge said supports radially outward. As the convolutions increase, each roller 25 and its arm 28 move radially inward, while its arm 27 slides radially inward .within the housing 31, the spring stretching to permit this movement. Eventually the arm 27 will move so far inward that it passesout of the housing 31, and then the contractile action of the spring 31 will result in swinging this arm outward andthe other arm 28 lnward so that the support pivots around its angle, and the roller 25 -will then occupy aposition radially within the box 15 instead of parallel with itsl axis, as shown. This action takes place automatically when the convolutions-have increased in number to such a point that the angle of the support passes the inner end of the housing. ,f

The shaft 19 of the film directing mechanism mentioned abovey projects through an,

opening in the cover of the reel box, and an arm/34 is provided having an opening `in one end to receive said shaft. A. bevel gear 35 is then fixedly mounted on the shaft 19 beyond the point of connection of the arm 34 thereto for meshing -engagement with a bevel gear 36 which is mounted on the lower end of a shaft 37 disposed'in contiguous relation to the arm 34 and mounted in bearings 38 thereon. The opposite end of the shaft 37 is provided with a bevel gear 39 for meshing engagement with a bevel gear T40 mounted on a shaftl 41 which extends fat right angles to the shaft 37 and is mounted in a bearing 42 formed on an enlargement of said arm 34, the opposite end of said shaft being provided with a relatively small friction Wheel 43. The friction A Wheel 43 is adapted to bear'against the face of a friction disk 44 which is mounted upon a horizontal transversely extending shaft 45 in turn journaled in a bearing bracket 46 secured to the rear wall of the lower reel box 15 and extending rearwardly thereof. The end of the shaft 45 opposite that end supporting the disk 44 is provided with a belt pulley 47 an endless belt 48 .being provided to connect said pulley 47 with a pulley 49 mounted on thel above mentioned shaft 13 of the film projecting apparatus proper. It will be apparent that 'by grasping the outer end of the arm 34, the arm may be moved so as to cause the relatively small disk 43 to engage any point on the face of the relatively large disk l44 to vary the speed of transmission of motion from one disk to the other. A second ibelt pulley 50 is \mounted on said shaft 45, and a belt 51 is passed arund, said pulley 50 and around a pulley 52 mounted on the shaft 16 which is journaled in the lower film box 15. l

In operation, the film 23 after passing through the projecting mechanism 11 is convoluted within the-drum 17 in themanner mentioned above, and during rotation ofthe crank shaft 12 as the film is projected, the` drum 17 is rotated, power being transmitted thereto through the pulley 49 and belt 48 to the pulley 47, and through the shaft 45 to the shaft 16 through the medium of the pulleys 50 and 52, and the |belt 51. The film as fast as it is-shifted through the projecting.

mechanismis taken up by the roller 2,0 of the film directing mechanism the roller 2O being actuated through the medium `of the disk 44 which 'transmits power to the disk 43, and through the shaft 41 and bevel gears 40 and 39 to the shafft 37. The power is transmitted from said shaft 37 through the gears 35 and 36 to the shaft 19 of said roller 20. It `will be obvious that the speed of rota-tion of the roller 20 may be varied by moving the arm 34, and contacting the disk 43 with the disk 44 at the proper point on said disk 44 to give the requisite speed.- As the film is wound within the drum 17 the convolutions become smaller and :hence the speed of movement of the roller 20 must be decreased so as j to properly direct the film into the drum 17v Without entangling the same.

Thus it will be seen that with my improvements in a moving picture projecting machine, the necessity for a film rewinding mechanism is obviated 'and the time consumed in the use of such mechanisms entirely saved. The wear and tear on the film 1s also saved in view of the fact that the handlinlg necessitated by the use of a rewinding mac ine is rendered unnecessary.

While I have illustrated and described my invention with some degree of particularity, I realize that in practice various Aalterations thereover maybe-made. and I therefore devit sire to reserve theright and privilege of changingfthe form of the details of /construction, or otherwise altering the arrangement of the correlative parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In combination with a moving picture projection apparatus, a drum to recelve the unwinding end of the film therein whereby the film may be wound spirally with the outer convolution formed first, and means for supporting the convolutions during winding of the film, said means being automatically displaceable from l engagement with the film when a suiicient number of convolutions havebeen wound to permit the spiral to be self-sustaining.

2. `In Combination with la moving picture projection apparatus, a drum -mounted for Y rotation wherein towind the unwinding end of the film in spiral formation, forming the outer convolutions first,a plurality of rollersv projecting into the drum to support'the convolutions, means for supporting said rollers movable radially relative to the center of the drum, resilient means urging said roller supporting means outward, and guiding means for said roller supporting means, adapted, when the convollitions have increased to a predetermined number, to yper# mit movement of the rollers out of the drum.

3. In combination with a moving picture projection apparatus, a reel box, a drum mounted therein to receive the unwinding end of the film whereby the film may be wound spirally therein forming the outer convolutions first, a plurality of radial housings on said reel box, a plurality of roller supports in the form of rlght angular members having one of their arms within the housing, rollers supported upon their other arms to support the convolutlons of the film, and springs urging said roller supports outward, said housings having their inner ends open whereby when the convolutions increase to a predetermined number, the arms within the housings will be moved entirely therefrom to permit the roller supports to move the vrollers from the drum.

4. In combination with a moving picture projection apparatus, a reel box having a plurality of radial slots in one wall, a housing over each slot open at its inner end at a point radially beyond the inner endof the slot, a drum rotatably mounted within said box, means within the drum for atta-ching the unwinding end of the film thereto, a plurality of right-angular supports whereof each has one arm mounted in a housing and ,its other end projecting through a slot in said reel house and carrying a roller adapted to contact with the film within slaid drum, and yielding means bearin each support radially outward but permittin'g its movement inward as the convolutions of the fllm increase within the drum.

5. lIn combination with a moving picture projection apparatus, a drum mounted for rotation to receive the unwinding end of the film whereby the film may be formed spirally therein, forming the outer convolution first, a roller over which the nlm is passed to direct the nlm into the drum, a plurality of rollers in contiguous relation to the first mentioned rollers to retain .the film in engagement with the first mentioned roller, and a variable speed mechanism operable by the projection mechanism for rotating said first mentioned roller.

6. In combination with a moving picture projection apparatus, a drum mounted for rotation to receive the unwinding end of the.

film whereby the film maybe wound spirally therein, and the outer convolutions formed first, a roller over which the film is passed todirect the filminto the drum, an arm movable about an axis coincident with the axis of rotation of the roller, a shaft mounted on said arm, means for transmitting motion from the shaft to the roller, a friction disk operatively connected to the upper end of the shaft, a second disk for engagement with the first, and means operable by the projec` tion apparatus for rotating the second mentioned disk, said arm being movable to vary the speed of transmission of motion from one disk to the other whereby the roller may be rotated at various speeds relative to the rate of rotation of the drum.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. CHARLES G. SKILLIN. Witnesses:

W. E. LU'rosDnN, FRED I-ImDEK. 

